Patterns & Pathways | Artistic Interpretations

This season, inspired by our seasonal concept Patterns & Pathways, we have been examining ideas of exploration. “We reflect on the pursuit of understanding, and how the acts of collecting, mapping and arranging help us to find our place in the universe,” says Head of Design Laura Shippey.

To celebrate our Autumn Winter 2024 collection, we invited you to share your own response to our theme through a single photograph or piece of artwork. We saw a range of brilliant creative works that captured the ever-changing pursuit of understanding, honing in on moments of stillness, and recognising naturally-occurring patterns within nature. Mediums ranged from photographs documenting sublime landscapes, to painted abstract colour scapes and patterned textiles.

We had two runners up and one winner for this year’s competition. Our winner is Rachelle Blondel, based in the Orkney islands. Our two runners up are Claira Matheson, based in West Penwith, Cornwall and Bethany Holmes, hailing from rural Essex.

Rachelle Blondel

Rachelle Blondel won with her photograph of water patterns weaving their way through sand, waiting for the tides to change. Rachelle moved to the Orkney islands to be closer to the sea. Watching the tempestuous Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the winds and sounds of crashing waves, feeds her artistic practice. While she typically pursues ceramics, her entry for TOAST was photographed on the sands at Westray in Orkney.

“My lifelong observation on the way the ebb and flow of the tides shapes the sand felt perfect. There is such a delicate beauty in the way the water weaves a pattern in the sand and leaves it there until the next tide. When I photograph it, the pattern becomes fixed in time. To me it’s like a finely woven thread, draped and manipulated across the surface. Something that could indeed inspire a garment. The fit was perfect.”

Claira Matheson

Claira’s beautiful photograph was taken of natural rock formations near her home on the rugged coastline of West Penwith. For Claira, the artistic process is one of recognising patterns and symmetry, but trusting to the intangible alchemy of chance, changing daylight, and experimentation in the darkroom.

"I am constantly inspired by the lines, patterns, symmetry and asymmetry in nature, it is reflected a lot in my own practice already. This concept felt like a perfect fit and something I see constantly when I'm out and about walking - whether it's the lines in the rock or flowing patterns in sand.

For this photograph, there was a beautiful set of rocks and rock formations I had discovered earlier in the year with my partner, and I knew I wanted to go back to shoot with my film camera. I waited until almost dusk and low tide to take the photographs. I later used the same film again and took shots of a full moon using a tripod and long exposure."

Bethany Holmes

Bethany Holmes works at the edge of a rural field in Essex. Although she has spent time working as a textile designer, an inspirational teacher led her to start creating in a looser, more contemporary and emotive style. Her entry for the TOAST competition embraces burnt, rusty hues in an abstract colourscape entitled Heatwave.

“The concept resonated with me in many ways, reflecting the idea that you can follow the same path, but each day that path is slightly different. This concept applies both to life as a whole and to everyday moments. A familiar path, for instance, looks entirely different in autumn compared to summer. The trees transform, colours intensify, and the light, shadows, and reflections all shift. Light creates patterns that change continually, varying by time of day. It's a constantly evolving environment. The same can be said for us as individuals. Each of us is on a unique path. While we may share certain patterns and be made in similar ways, we are all distinct. My painting captures this idea, with small marks representing the everyday - subtle yet ever-present, mirroring the constant change around us."